Honoring Members

Hall of Fame is a very special award issued in recognition of both longstanding service to the Club and writing success.

In July 2016, the club’s Communications Director/Editor, Julie Kimmel-Harbaugh, created a Hall of Fame section for the July issue of NightScripts, after having asked Jackie King to write a special tribute to the late Peggy Fielding.

A devoted club member for about 40 years, Peggy helped, perhaps, thousands of writers, many of whom went on to become published authors. Our first Hall of Fame inductee, she lead the way in so many ways. As she had already passed, this was a posthumous honor.

Beginning with Peggy, Julie’s idea was to honor long-time members who had enabled Tulsa NightWriters Club to thrive, as well as to perpetuate the spirit of their many contributions and inspire others by their examples. This tradition continues today and is one we will continue into the future.

Peggy “Mother Hen” Fielding
October 28, 1927 – May 20, 2014

Bob Avey | 2022

Bob Avey is a long-time member of the Tulsa NightWriters Club. He is also a member of the Oklahoma Writers Federation, the Oklahoma Mystery Writers, and Mystery Writers of America. Bob is a past nominee for the Tulsa NightWriter of the Year award and has also served as club president.

Bob is the author of the Detective Elliot mystery series, which includes Twisted
Perceptions (2006), Beneath a Buried House (2008), Identity Theft (2020), Footprints of a Dancer (2021), and his most recent best-selling masterpiece, Sandcastle for Pegasus. He has also published several short stories and non-fiction articles.

When Bob isn’t writing, reading, or researching crime and crime scene investigations, he spends his time roaming through ghost towns, searching for echoes from the past. Through his writing, which he describes as a blend of literacy and genre, Bob explores the intricacies and extremities of human nature.

Jim Laughter | 2021

Jim Laughter, a retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant, has been a member of the Tulsa NightWriters since his first book published in 2007. He served two terms as Newsletter Editor and one as Communications Director. Jim was elected to two terms as club President where he led the club to expand into new areas to help members learn and grow as writers, such as the Accountability Partners Program, an anthology, and the creation of The Craft of Writing Conference. Once he stepped down as President, he continued as Webmaster for the club. He has spoken to the Club on many occasions. As far as writing success, Jim has authored 14 books, including Polar City Red, From Victim to Hero, The Apostle Murders, A Killer in Time, two western short shorties, and the Galactic Axia Young Adult Series. He is also published in both club anthologies. Jim was selected the 2014 NightWriter of the Year.

Bill Wetterman | 2021

Former Vice-President of Wolters Search Firm, Bill Wetterman has over a dozen books, including his thrillers Yellowstone, The Literary Murders, and his Peacock Trilogy. He also authored two nonfiction books. Bill has won awards in multiple contests, including Writers’ Digest, and our own Flash Writing Contest multiple times. Bill served as Treasurer—perhaps the most vital of the Board positions—for many years, singlehandedly negotiating 501C7 status with the IRS. Bill was instrumental in the success of the programs previously mentioned, and spearheaded the publication of A River of Stories, the first NightWriter anthology, as well as our first annual Craft of Writing Conference. He, too, has shared his writing and publishing expertise with the club on numerous occasions, and ran his own writing seminar for members, which benefited our club a great deal.

Nikki Hanna | 2020

After retiring from forty-some years in corporate America, Hanna became a writer and has formed her own publishing company. She describes her writing as, “rich with irreverent, quirky humor and peppered with strong messages.” Her primary audience is women over fifty and writers. As an author, teacher, writing coach, contest judge, and speaker, she is dedicated to inspiring others and offers workshops and presentations on aging, writing, leadership, and women’s issues.

In addition to numerous awards for poetry, essays, and short stories, Hanna is the recipient of Oklahoma Writers’ Federation’s Crème de la Crème Award, and the Rose State College’s Outstanding Writer Award. As a self-published author, her book wards include The National Indie Excellence Book Award, two International Book Excellence Awards, four Independent Book Awards, and USA Book Finalist Award. Her books are available on Amazon and Kindle.

Carolyn Steele | 2018

M. Carolyn Steele retired from a commercial art career to pursue a love of writing. Historical eras, specifically Civil War and Native American, capture her imagination. Nominated for a Pushcart Prize, she has won numerous writing awards including several crème-de-la-creme and is published in seventeen anthologies. A Native American historical novel, Spirit of the Crow, was released in 2017 and a Civil War novel, Outrun the Bullets, is an August 2019 release. Combining her knowledge of storytelling and genealogy, she presents programs designed to inspire others to record their family stories as well as lecturing on methods to improve writing craft. She authored the book, Preserving Family Legends for Future Generations, a 2010 Heartland New Day Bookfest First Place winner.

Carolyn in a long-time member of the Tulsa Nightwriters and has served in several positions of influence and leadership. Her most prominent position has been that of Hospitality Director, a post in which she is imminently qualified. Her induction into the NightWriters Hall of Fame is a richly deserved, long overdue recognition.